I slammed open the door to the apartment, my chest heaving. My hair was plastered back down to my forehead and my eyes wide. Dad dropped his fork and whipped around, dinner forgotten. Isn't it like eleven? Why does he always eat so late? "Roxie? What's wrong?"

   I ignored him and closed the door, bolting the two locks shut. He watched, aghast, as I hurried to the blinds and yanked them closed. I felt like I was being watched, and considering what had just happened, it didn't seem too far fetched at this point. My hands shook with adrenaline. Dad finally hurried over, catching my arm. I hissed and jerked away, looking down to see a cut across it. He gaped. "What happened?"

   I finally exploded. My tone was hysterical. "I was at work and some sort of creepy-ass woman walked in. She started talking like she knew me, scaring the hell out of me. And then I left and these people were talking and saw me watching and chased me across the block until a freaking wolf the size of a car stopped me. Oh, and fire. Lots and lots of fire."

   Dad blinked slowly, opening his mouth, but I lifted my hand. "I'm not done, either! Those freaks showed up again and the creepy-ass lady somehow strung me upside down, stuck a knife at my throat, and then they were talking straight nonsense and crap. Then I think I started hallucinating because I could have sworn that tall guy was a wizard and the red-head was throwing fire like candy. And that dark lady was some sort of shadow demon. I swear to all that is holy that she's insane. I ran all the way here and I'm pretty sure they followed me, too!" My voice had risen to a shriek by the end, my hands fisted in my hair.

   Dad's jaw was slack as he gawked.

   "You probably think I'm crazy, huh?" I laughed crazily. "'Cause I think I've gone off of the deep end."

   His mouth worked for a minute, repeating what I'd said, before he suddenly paled. "I don't think you're crazy, Roxie."

   "How can you not?"

   "Did you hear any names?" He pressed me.

   I nodded, eyebrows furrowing. "What does that have to do with anything?"

   "Just tell me."

   "The young dude was Mark or something, the dark lady Dani, the red-head Cally or like that, and the tall guy was Alexie."

    The rest of the color visibly drained from his face. "Did you just say Alexie?"

    "Uh, yeah?"

    He swore. "Then you're definitely not crazy. And they probably followed you."

   "What?!"

    "Pack an overnight bag," he ordered, already hurrying toward his bedroom. "We're getting out of here."

   "But--"

    "Now, Roxie."

   Something in his tone told me it would be dangerous to argue. I snapped my trap and stamped to my room, confused beyond belief. I snagged my backpack and jammed some random clothes into it. With the essentials thrown in, I changed to my good converse and hurried back outside. I'd always been a quick packer, considering I wasn't a girl to wear fancy stuff. Throw in some jeans and t-shirts and I was good.

   "Ready?" Dad called from his bedroom.

    "Yeah, but where are we going? Why?"

    "I figure that out on the way," he promised, ignoring my last question. I squinted as he poked his head around the corner. "Go into the hall and wait for me, I'm just grabbing the car keys."

   Obeying, I rushed to the door and fumbled with the lock. With it free, I wrenched it open and froze. My spine tightened. Eyes I could only describe as ice bored down into my head. The imposing figure of Alexie stood in my way. He clearly wasn't impressed with our attempt to escape. Sweat dripped down my back and my breath caught in my throat. "Dad . . ."

    "Where did you last see the keys?" He hollered back and I heard a laundry basket hit the floor of the other room. "I swear they were just in here!"

   "I think we've got bigger problems!" I backed up and tried to close the door, but a thin hand caught the side. I grunted and pushed with my whole weight. The stupid door didn't budge. Alexie waited until I paused to catch my breath before pushing the door open, an eyebrow arched, unimpressed. He swept past me before I was able to slam the door shut. A foot wedged in the way the second time and I cursed. "Damn it, let me close the damn door!"

   "Sorry," grunted someone else. Footsteps skidded into the room and I turned around as Dad stopped dead, his eyes wide. Alexie stood near the counter, out of place in the modern kitchen. I had my back pressed against the door as I tried to force it shut, cursing out whoever was holding it open. I wish I hadn't left my mace in that alley! Stupid, stupid Roxie!

   "Alexie, what the hell are you doing in my apartment?" Dad snapped. "Terrorizing my daughter, much less?" 

   Alexie shifted his eyes my way, ignoring my fight with the door. "This girl is your daughter . . ." His eyebrows creased and he glanced away from me.

   "Get out of home and stay away from us," retorted Dad. It wasn't that hard to see we were related, watching the attitude that came from the both of us. I finally lost my fight with the door and fell forward with a yelp. Dad caught my side and pushed me behind him as two others entered the kitchen. The first was a young guy I hadn't seen yet. He hadn't broken a sweat to open the door and watched me glare at him, brown eyes twinkling with amusement. The second person was the red-head lady from the alley. The flames that had swirled around her arms was burned into the back of my eyelids, even if she looked normal now.

   "You know I can't," Alexie replied evenly. "Just because you cut yourself away from our world doesn't mean you can leave the same fate to your child."

   "I'm her guardian, of course I can," bit out Dad. "I won't let what happened to Annabel happen to Roxie."

  My back tightened at the mention of my mother. Dad never brought her up if he could help it. The grief that came from him when he did was so thick that I didn't like bringing up the topic. All I knew was that she had died in a road accident. My eyes narrowed, but Alexie spoke before I could break one of my only rules.

   "You know -- fully well -- that the reason of her passing could have been easily avoided and therefore her fault," said Alexie. "Had she taken the proper steps, she never would have died that way."

   "It wasn't her fault! She didn't make those animals tear her apart!"

   "But she never would have been there in the first place, had she trained under a master," Alexie responded swiftly. "And you can make sure it doesn't happen again." His eyes shifted my way. I blanched. Dad stood up taller and tried to stare him down, which didn't really work. Besides the fact that Alexie was taller, his presence was way more threatening. They were utter opposites. Dad bore dark hair and our shared tanned skin. Alexie was pale and bright, threatening with his silence rather than his anger. I somehow felt that Alexie was a worse enemy -- and not even close.

   "I can't believe you would ever think suggesting that is a good idea," Dad seethed. "That will never happen. Not while I stand rational. Besides the fact that I'd never allow it, Roxie doesn't want to, either."

   "I don't want to wha--?"

   "Ronald," said the woman from the back, "cut the ego crap and think for a second. We all know what happened to Annabel was her own fault. Besides that, you're not the only person who regrets what happened to her." Her eyes were full of hurt.

   "Stay out of it, Calida!" Dad snarled. I'd never seen him so angry. The last time he'd been anywhere close had been when I told him the bar was robbed while I was there. "You have no right -- not with what you did. She trusted you."

   Her face twisted into a sneer, but Alexie lifted his hand to silence both of them. I looked between them before tugging on my Dad's shirt childishly. But the way they were talking? It made me feel like an ignorant kid. I had no idea what was happening. "What's going on? What are you guys talking about?"

   "Nothing. Go to your room."

   My jaw fell with indignation. He seriously didn't just--?! "Are you kidding me?"

  "No."

   "Then you're obviously delusional. I'm not going anywhere." 

   His angry eyes turned on me. "Roxie . . ." His tone was full of warning.

   I crossed my arms and clenched my jaw. "No. You're obviously talking about me. I'm an adult, so don't pull that crap on me. And don't pull some B.S. story saying that you're not talking about me, because we both know that's a damn lie." 

   He opened his mouth to report when the younger guy stepped forward. Something echoed from his chest, dangerously close to a growl. My head snapped his way. "What the heck?"

   "She stays," said Alexie flatly. I gawked at the younger guy, who just shot a sly wink my way and ignored everything else.

   Dad clenched his jaw. "Fine. But she still stays here. She's not going anywhere."

   "To the Light above, Ronald!" Calida threw her hands up. "Look at her, you fool! She's bleeding, injured, and not to mention her wrist! I know you recognize it, so don't play stupid. Your daughter is in incredible danger and you're plugging your ears!" Her lip curled and I blinked rapidly. Wait a sec, is that a fang in her mouth--?

   Dad snagged my wrist. I nearly pulled it away, but the sudden draining of color from his face made me stop. His finger traced the black cuff and he looked up, ghastly. "This can't be -- it's not possible. It doesn't exist anymore. It's extinct."

   "Obviously not," said Calida hotly. 

   "Then how? The chances of one surviving, much less finding us?" Dad looked at Alexie wildly. "A dark mage? How much did they take? How much damage?"

   "It's impossible to know for sure, but likely not much. She was being used for roughly eight minutes before the link was broken and the mark is only a few inches thick. If she has her mother's blood, then I suspect that she'll be fine. So long as it doesn't happen again."

   "What?" I interjected.

  Alexie answered without looking over. "It's the mark of a dark magick. More specifically, a dark mage."

   "Marking of a what-now?"

   "Not another word!" Dad snapped at Alexie.

   Finally, Dad seemed to hit a nerve. Alexie stepped forward, eyes smoldering, and lifted his hand. With a twist of his fingers, the long pole appeared from thin air and he caught it easily. My eyes widened and my jaw fell. "Ronald," he hissed, "you need to listen to reason. Dani Darhk was caught, but not before she made this girl her source. She would only take such a risk if she sensed something in the girl. To put it bluntly, I can too. She has her mother's blood. She's of the same family."

   "That doesn't mean--"

   "It means exactly that. Besides all the dangers to her safety, others will be able to sense it too. How long until a scout locates her and she's removed by order of the Council? Or how long until she starts to explore on her own?"

   "What? Explore what? And what's a council?"

   "Roxie--" Dad started.

   "No." Alexie cut him off. "No more lies." His head jerked my way. "You aren't human, child. And it's about time your father stopped trying to pretend otherwise."

   "Telling her about it won't make a difference," muttered Dad.

   "Then why won't you let him tell me?" I fired back. I was ready to knock some heads together to get answers, if that was what it took.

   "Because you're staying here."

   "She's not."

   Dad snapped his head toward Alexie. The latter tilted his head. "She's coming with us, Ronald."

    "Excuse me?" I yelped.

   "She most certainly is not," said Dad sharply.

   Calida pinched her spectacles' bridge. "Quit trying to use your ego to get out of this. She needs to be trained or she's going to end up like her mother. You know this."

   "Besides," interjected the younger guy, "it's better she learns from one of her own and not herself. Even if she does stay here, with you, we all know she isn't going to sit by idly and forget about this. You'd go out on your own and figure it out, right?" He glanced my way.

   I glared. "Spoil-sport."

   "Sorry."

   "No, you're not."

   He cracked a smile. "You're right. I'm not sorry at all."

   Dad glared between all of them. "Even if she wanted to go or if I were to allow it, no one would take her in. She's older than the average apprentice and a lot to handle. Who would willingly take her in?"

   "Hey!" I protested.

   "Me."

   Utter silence fell across the room. Dad and I looked at Alexie at the same time. Dad looked aghast. I was completely lost at this point. "You?" Both of us said it at the same time.

   "If she is anything like her mother, it is best I do it. You make a good point. No one else would be able to handle her."

   "Her mother wasn't a mage. How do you expect to train a witch?"

   "We'll see," was Alexie's response.

   "Witch?!" I looked between them, eyebrows furrowed. "What the absolute heck is going on?"

   "Calida, help her gather her possessions."

   Calida stepped forward, reaching for my arm, but I stepped out of the way. Dad watched, his face stricken. He struggled with a decision before reluctantly saying, "She's already packed." He looked dejected.

   "Then we shan't wait." Alexie glanced at the younger guy. "Stay here for a day. Make sure Dani didn't have any allies that followed Roxie. I trust you can still handle your staff?" He glanced at Dad. Dad glowered. "Of course."

   "Okay, no one is making any sense!" I waved my arms. "Anyone feel like catching me up? Huh?"

   Alexie's tight grip caught my arm. His tone almost had humor. "Might want to hold your breath." I opened my mouth to curse at him to let go. Dad's sad eyes were all I saw before something yanked at my stomach. A fish hook dug into my intestines and black swallowed my vision. My breath was ripped from my lungs and I blacked out instantly.